


The Boy and The Hanyou

by MusicFantasi



Category: Bleach, InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Fluff, Not Really Character Death, Past life, Young Toshiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-14 03:11:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18044366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicFantasi/pseuds/MusicFantasi
Summary: Inuyasha had been sealed away and forced to leave the boy that was like his little brother alone again. Now he was finally given the chance to see him again. Only to find Toshiro was no where to be found; However, fate has a way of bringing people together again against all odds and through any tragedy.





	1. Chapter 1

Light streaked across the night sky, illuminating the dark with brilliant shades of red and orange. Slowly the sun peaked out from behind the forested horizon, shrouding its intense glare upon the land and signaling to all that morning had finally arrived once more. With the light pouring out again the hellish creatures of the dark retreated, waiting eagerly for the coming of nightfall so that they could seek out their prey once more. 

A small distance south of the forest, along the base of several towering, snowcapped peaks, was a village. Its huts built along the wooded mountainsides and next to a large stream that flowed off of the mountains. Its clear, fresh water sparkling in the morning light as a young boy made his way to it quickly with a small, wooden bucket in his tiny hands. His bright eyes glanced around him cautiously before dipping the bucket into the stream and hurrying away with the heavy load. 

No water spilled over despite his hasty strides until he found his way back to a rundown hut, its roof sagging and door barely attached. It was away from the rest of the village, almost to the opposite edge of the forest. The boy disappeared within the house, exiting again only moments later with a tattered, dark green cloak hiding his small stature and a bow and a quiver full of arrows peeking through on his back. With a cold glance at the still snoozing village, he embarked into the shadowy depths of the forest without hesitation.  
The towering trees blocked much of the sun’s rays with their broad leaves and reaching branches as they stretched over top of the boy in intricate patterns that only allowed small, shining beams to illuminate the dense wood. This, however, did not deter the small child as he continued on silently, an arrow notched loosely in his bow. He walked carefully but quickly, his bare feet avoiding dead leaves and twigs unconsciously and effortlessly as he looked for his query. 

It took nearly four hours of careful navigation but finally a large deer lazily walked several meters ahead of him. The boy hid in the shadows, using a thick tree for cover as he pulled back an arrow and aimed. A long, furry ear twitched at the small noise of the bowstring as his prey became alert and froze mid step. He waited, holding his breath, as it looked around cautiously and then seemed to relax. As it dropped its head once more to nibble on the dew covered grass by its feet, he let his arrow fly, striking the unsuspecting animal in the chest.

It cried out but was cut short as a second arrow pierced the flesh in its throat, blood bubbling out immediately. It fell with a dead thud as the boy darted forward, pulling a cutting knife from his hip as he quickly set to work skinning and cutting out a large chuck of meat. His small, bloody fingers worked quickly and deftly, as he slid the meat into a sack that had been around his back under his cloak. 

When he finished he quickly fled from the area, knowing the smell of fresh blood would attract beasts he did not want to encounter. After several minutes he dived into a hollowed out tree, covering his mouth with a hand to silence his labored breath as he strained his ears to determine if he had been followed. Silence permeated the air for several moments as the boy willed his heart and breathing to slow. Minutes passed before he cautiously exited, eyes alert and searching. Faintly he could hear the sound of the deer’s carcass being devoured, making him have to push down his panic and uneasiness and move forward to safety. 

A hiss sounded to his right, making his body freeze in fear and apprehension. The boy held his breath, hoping, preying, that whatever it was would leave and make its way to the feast he had left behind. After several moments he took a step forward carefully, listening for any other noises to signal if there was anything around him. Hearing nothing, he moved forward more quickly but made sure not to let his guard down less he end up like that dear.

Something solid and slick slammed into his side, slinging him into a tree truck with a loud crack. He swallowed the scream begging to claw its way out of his throat and forced his body to move passed the pain. He was grateful that he somehow managed to land on his feet and bolted, pushing his legs as fast as he could as the sound of reckless, frantic movement thundered behind him. Running blindly in his panic, he tried to find a place to hide or escape, anything to get him away from the demon pursuing him.

Seeing a low hanging branch the boy grabbed hold of it, using his momentum to flip himself onto it before quickly scrambling up the branches into what he hoped would be at least temporary safety. The small boy pulled his cloak tighter around himself in an extra attempt to blend with the tree’s deep green leaves. He held his breath once more as he watched the lanky demon dash passed the tree, its six arm-like legs rapidly propelling it forward. As the sound of its heavy footfalls faded, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Damn brat, stop making so much noise, ‘m trying to sleep here.” A voice sounded gruffly from the opposite side of the trunk, almost making the boy fall off his perch in surprise. He chose not to respond, opting instead to climb higher in an attempt to figure out where he had run. Hopefully, he hadn’t gotten too far into the forest that he couldn’t see his village any longer. “ Hey, I was talking to you!”

Glancing down, cool turquoise eyes met fiery amber. He took in the long silver hair with a bit of surprise but let it pass quickly at the sight of two small, fuzzy looking canine ears situated on top of the man’s head, one of which twitched in aggravation. In turn the older male looked upon the small, cloaked figure with open annoyance and anger, pissed at both being rudely woken from his sleep and ignored by the human runt. Said runt continued to remain silent, opting to continue his ascent in silence.

The male growled in annoyance, ignoring the fact that the child was doing what he had asked by remaining quiet. He was expecting surprise, shouting, disgust, something, hell maybe even an apology, but not stoic, impassive silence. It grated on his nerves as his sensitive hearing picked up the small creak and shift of the branches. “ Oi, you better stop ignoring me you cocky prick or I may just get that demon back over here!” He shouted in annoyance, pleased when the boy paused.

“ What is your name?” His voice came out softly, whispered like he wasn’t used to speaking, but still held strength in it.

“ Why do you wanna know?” He asked gruffly, annoyed further at the sudden subject change.

“ Simply curious.” Turquoise eyes once more glanced at him, something unreadable to the silver haired hanyou swirling in them. 

“ I don’t see why I should tell you then.” He huffed childishly although he was intrigued by the boy’s strange behavior and lack of disgust or fear at his presence. He thought that it should bother him that this human child wasn’t afraid of him despite his obvious demon linage but, to his surprise, it didn’t. 

A loud crack sounded, the branch under the boy’s feet snapping and immediately sending him plummeting downward. He frantically tried to grab onto the tree, but each time his hand slipped painfully over the rough bark, slicing into the soft flesh. A rough, calloused hand closed onto his wrist, jerking him to a sudden stop and nearly dislocating his shoulder. He quickly pushed the pain aside as he snapped his head up to look at the man that had saved him.

Instead of the annoyed growl he had already grown to expect from the man, the boy was surprised when he just sighed and yanked him up so that he had a better hold around his thin waist before jumping out of the tree. They landed softly despite the long fall and he was immediately released. “ Thank you.” He spoke after several moments of an almost awkward silence, looking at the ground.

“ It’s Inuyasha.” The hanyou looked to the side, a scowl on his face and arms crossed. He didn’t know why he was doing this and he knew he’d regret helping this kid but he was going to do it anyway. 

“ Inuyasha.” The boy repeated, testing the name and pronunciation before a small smile graced his lips. 

“ And you are?” Inuyasha snapped impatiently.

“ Hitsugaya Toshiro.” He bowed deeply in both gratitude and respect causing the hanyou to blink at him in confusion. This was new. Normally everyone ran or tried to kill him on sight, but this boy didn’t do either. He definitely wouldn’t say that he liked being ignored either but the lack of disdain and hatred from the human was refreshing. “ Do you know how to get back to the village?”

“ And what if I did. It’s not like I would help you get back.” He scoffed, making the boy frown but remain silent once more. The smell of the boy’s blood filled his nose as his hands continued to bleed unchecked, Toshiro ignoring them in his attempt to figure out how to find his way home. He sighed, knowing the stubborn hanyou wouldn’t willingly help him without something in it for him. “ Shit.” Toshiro blinked in surprise at the sudden growl. “ Stay close, kid, that demon’s back and it smells like he brought friends.”

Toshiro gulped nervously, his body stilling as he looked around, straining his human senses to pick up what Inuyasha had detected. It took a few moments but faintly he could hear the demons’ footfalls, hissing and heavy breathing accompanying them. He glanced up, searching for a high, sturdy branch he could use as a perch. Spotting one, he tugged lightly on Inuyasha’s long red sleeve, snapping the half demon’s attention to him and pointed to it. Without a word he grabbed the cloaked boy around the stomach in one arm and leapt onto the branch, setting him carefully on it. 

He waited for a moment as the boy positioned himself between the branch and trunk of the tree. Toshiro nodded to him and Inuyasha jumped back down. He had been planning on just scooping the kid up and getting him to relative safety close to the village, not telling him that of course, and dumping him there. Granted he didn’t like the notion of fleeing from the impending battle, but he hadn’t expected the boy to understand that. Obviously, however, he had considering he managed to pick a very good spot to hide in that helped keep him safer and very much out of the hanyou’s way. 

The first demon crashed into view and Inuyasha noted that it was a centipede demon. Its long, serpentine body a dark red and plated with a thick exoskeleton with dozens of little legs rapidly moving it forward. As he approached it reared back to tower over the hanyou and let out a hiss, long, jagged pincers clicking open and closed in front of his mouth. Inuyasha wasn’t impressed. Without a moment of hesitation he impaled the demon, his claws easily sinking through the hard armor and into the soft flesh underneath. In only a few moments the demon was cleaved in half, its dark blood splattering onto the ground in thick waves.

Two others rushed in, not quite as fast as the centipede, but more powerful. One was a bear demon, its fur pitch black with numerous scars peeking through. Its claws were wickedly long and sharp, the tips serrated in order to tear flesh apart. Its top canines poked about two inches from its lips that hid its row of sharp fangs. The second was a snake demon, its two heads bobbing up and down as it slowed to a stop. Its scales were also red and pointed with spikes. 

Inuyasha smiled, looking forward to fighting the two demons despite their massive size, both easily twice his height. With a roar the bear charged at him on all fours before rearing back to swipe a massive paw down at the half demon. Inuyasha quickly hopped to the side, raking his claws across its shoulder before the snake attacked him. It moved with lightning speed, each head lashing out to sink its fangs into him. He managed to dodge but was then trapped between it and the enraged bear. 

The bear once more attacked, powerful jaws snapping as he tried the snake’s method before switching again to his talon tipped paws. Inuyasha growled, not liking that he was only able to dodge without countering. Between the quickness of the snake’s strikes and the unrelenting attacks of the bear, he didn’t have much of a choice. Inuyasha heard a faint noise above and to the side of him but ignored it, figuring it to simply be Toshiro, and tried to lead the demons slightly away from the boy’s perch. There was a brief pause in the snake’s attacks; its tongue slipping out to taste the air as one head looked up, spotting the boy.

A split second later, a hissing cry was emitted as an arrow landed directly into the skull of one of the heads and embedded it in the truck of an adjacent tree, successfully trapping the demon. Inuyasha was surprised to say the least at the display which allowed for the bear to carve its claws deeply into his arm. He ignored the light, dying hiss of the snake as another arrow met its mark and the snake was killed, focusing completely on killing the bear. 

Without the snake as backup, it was much easier to fight, Inuyasha landing many more attacks. Another arrow was fired as the half demon jumped back to avoid a wide, sweeping attack from the bear. It sank deeply into the flesh of its back, the bear letting out a loud cry and turning its attention to look for its new assailant. It was the last thing it did before Inuyasha used his claws to sever its head from its body. As the bear’s massive head fell to the ground with a thud silence filled the forest again, both males waiting and listening for anything else that could potentially harm them. 

After several more moments Inuyasha growled and glared up into the tree, gaze easily spotting Toshiro. “ What the Hell was that? I didn’t ask for your help!” He wouldn’t admit it, but he was rather impressed with the boy’s marksmanship and aim. He hadn’t thought a human boy like him would really have it in them to kill a demon. 

“ I don’t need your permission.” The icy glare hardened as Toshiro waited patiently for the hanyou to retrieve him from the tree.

“ I can leave you up there you know.” Inuyasha snapped, hoping to entice a reaction from the boy. He grew more annoyed when Toshiro didn’t take the bait and react, instead just waiting silently. He grunted in agitation before hopping into the tree to fetch him, the pair landing lightly on the ground once more only a few seconds later. “ Come on, I’ll take you back to the village.” He said begrudgingly. He kind of liked this kid, he couldn’t very well leave the little brat to die in the woods. He may be half demon but he certainly wasn’t heartless. Even if there were times he wished he was. 

“ Thank you.” Toshiro bowed once more, grateful for the assistance. The short glance he had managed to get of the surrounding forest was plenty enough to tell him that he was well and truly lost. As they began walking, Toshiro having to almost jog to keep up with the hanyou’s longer strides, he used pieces of his cloak to wrap the wounds on his hands. He hoped the smell of blood wasn’t strong enough to attract any more attention from the demons still prowling in the forest. 

Their journey through the forest was quiet as neither of them were very well adept at communicating with other people. Toshiro found himself opening his mouth to try to say something, anything to break the almost tense silence, many times but always ended up staying quiet. Inuyasha grumpily led the way, grumbling to himself every once in a while when he moved his injured shoulder or smelled demons nearby. Despite the boy’s previous show of skill with his bow, he wasn’t too keen on continually dragging the boy into battles. Besides, he arm hurt and he couldn’t be bothered either. Inuyasha led them to the edge of the forest, the boy’s village in sight only a small distance away. Toshiro was almost surprised that Inuyasha had actually brought him back to his village. 

Toshiro continued walking around the forest’s perimeter, still in the shadow of the trees. He bypassed the bustling village and headed to what appeared to Inuyasha as an abandoned hut left to rot. “ How is your arm?” Toshiro asked as they approached.

He tested it gently, ignoring the pain that stabbed through his arm, before answering. “ Fine, nothing to worry about. I’m a hanyou, this is nothing.” 

“ It still needs bandaging.” He insisted. The male hadn’t had any true reason to help him or save him so it was the least he could do. Him not wanting to be left alone again after finding someone that would actually speak to him without disgust was beside the point. 

The pair walked into the small home, Inuyasha grumbling the whole way, but was surprised with how well kept and neat the inside was in comparison to the outside. It was small, but rather homey with a small fire pit in the middle and several cabinets along the back wall. Pots and kettles were stacked neatly beside them with several wooden bowls topping off the tower. Against another wall several blankets were neatly folded and what he supposed was the boy’s bed close by. Different herbs and plants hung from the ceiling to dry out, filling the house with their rich scent that put the hanyou at ease. 

Toshiro walked further into the house, depositing his cloak, bow, and quiver by the door first, and the bag with the deer meat by the fire pit. He then made his way to one of the cabinets, rummaging through for only a few moments before withdrawing a neat roll of bandages and coming back over to Inuyasha. “ Here.” the bandages and a damp rag were thrust in front of him. He grumbled before taking them and shrugging out of his top, ignoring the kid as he began making a fire. Cleaning the wound was easy enough but wrapping it proved difficult with one arm and left him very annoyed and growling at the stubborn cloth not doing what he wanted it to. 

Without a word the bandages were plucked from his hand and his sloppy wrappings unwound. He opted to remain silent as the child cared for the deep gashes, choosing instead to actually look at the now uncloaked boy. His hair was gravity defying with its spikes and was not just pale as he’d originally thought, but actually white like his own. The turquoise eyes focused on his shoulder were colder than a human child’s should be and showed little else. Up close to him, Inuyasha could make out the faint traces of dried blood on his right cheek along with a bruise just barely peeking out from under his bangs. 

Inuyasha was snapped out of his observations when the skinny child stepped back to survey his work. Glancing at it himself he had to admit it was done rather nice and neatly. Not one to voice gratitude, he simply put his shirt and haori back on, the boy not asking for anything. 

With Toshiro home safely and his wound tended to, Inuyasha supposed there really was no point or reason to his staying. He knew he should leave, was about to, but the tantalizing aroma of cooking meat teased his nose and made his mouth water. He watched as Toshiro prepared another strip of meat, coating it lightly with a mixture of herbs before laying it on a skillet over the fire, the meat hissing. His stomach growled noisily, catching him by surprise just as much as Toshiro. “ You may stay if you like. You did save me after all. Remain as long as you like.”

He was grateful but suspicious. So what if he’d saved him, he was a half demon, something to be scorned, hated, shunned. Not invited into a home and cared for like an actual person. At least that’s the treatment Inuyasha was used to, the way he was sure all humans believed was the right way of things. “ Why would I want to do that?” he sneered, acting as if the very thought of staying in the human’s presence was the last thing he would ever want to do.

“ Your stomach.” Toshiro replied, not looking up at him, opting instead to slap another piece of meat onto the skillet and intensify the delicious smell of food.   
Inuyasha glared at him. “ I could always just kill you and take it.” He huffed.

Finally the teal eyes leveled their gaze back on the older male, a thoughtful look settling in them. “ You will not harm me.” Toshiro said matter of factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. His voice held no doubt or hesitation. “ If you were, you already would have. If you wish to leave, feel free. I am not forcing you to stay.” The slight hint of sadness in his eyes, the powerful look of loneliness shining in them for the briefest of moments, silenced the hanyou. It was an all too familiar look.

They elapsed into silence filled only by the sound of the crackling fire. Inuyasha found himself relaxing slowly in the quiet boy’s presence, knowing he had nothing to worry about there. He couldn’t explain how he knew without a shadow of a doubt that this boy was genuine in his acceptance of him, but he did. At first he was worried maybe the boy had set some sort of trap in order to kill him, past experience teaching him to always expect that from the seemingly kind. However, the very idea of the boy doing such a thing was quickly changing into a ludicrous notion. 

“ What’s a kid like you doing out in the middle of the woods alone, anyway?” He asked as Toshiro handed him several pieces of meat and a bowl of vegetable stew he had put on the fire to warm up. 

“ Hunting.”

“ In a demon infested forest. You’re dumber than you look.” He immediately realized his mistake in word choice as the white haired child flinched, his hold of his stew tightening. Inuyasha knew this boy must be hated in this village. Why else would he live alone, on the very edge, in this decaying hut? Strange appearances had a way of turning people against you. He quickly attempted to correct himself, sympathizing with him more than he’d ever admit. “ I mean, look what happened. If I hadn’t been there to save your ass you’d be dead, Kid.”

“ You have my thanks for that.” Inuyasha couldn’t help the amused smirk when he saw the kid’s eyebrow twitch after a moment, “ And my name is not kid, it’s Toshiro Hitsugaya.”

“ I’ll call you whatever I damned well please, you brat.” 

Again his eyebrow twitched. “ Bastard.” He growled under his breath, scowling in annoyance. Inuyasha bit into his food victoriously, proud at finding something that enticed more than just an icy glare. 

As time drug on they managed to engage small conversations. Some were general and informational and were normally started by Toshiro, the boy wanting to know more about Inuyasha and places passed his small village. The curious child hidden within that icy exterior slowly began to show as the boy lowered his guard bit by bit. Others were meaningless and mostly started by an irritated comment of Inuyasha’s. The hanyou hadn’t truly had a genuine conversation with anyone since the death of his mother, whether they be demon or human. His short run ins with his brother certainly didn’t count considering they normally ended in bloodshed. 

Toshiro was surprised when Inuyasha didn’t immediately leave after they ate their food. He’d honestly expected the man to and then never see him again, but there he still sat talking about a demon he had killed far south of there. The boy didn’t admit it, but he enjoyed listening to the hanyou even when he seemed to only be bragging about something he’d done. His tales were so much more interesting than anything Toshiro had ever experienced or done. He hoped one day he could leave this village and have adventures too.  
Inuyasha didn’t say anything, didn’t let it show, but he could sense the demons lurking nearby in the forest. They were targeting the village that much was certain and he’d be damned if he let a kid he went through the trouble of saving die now. So he stayed, enjoying the human kid’s company more than he’d ever admit. Toshiro obviously wasn’t much of a talker but when he spoke he didn’t hold back his opinion. He shared it freely in short, concise sentences that were straight to the point and sometimes painfully blunt. It was amusing for the hanyou to watch him get flustered when he said something he hadn’t meant to. A lack of social etiquette was something they had in common. 

It was late when Toshiro succumbed to sleep, his small form curled up on the floor across the fire. It was afterward that Inuyasha allowed himself to truly think about the strange child and all he’d learned about him. He seemed too trusting, which was odd considering the injuries he was sporting that were all too familiar to the hanyou. He was bullied in that village, that was certain. Bruises and cuts from rocks thrown by other children, the lonely look in his eyes caused from being outcasted. An outsider not knowing his persecution was probably a welcomed change of pace, now that he thought of it. Perhaps that was why Toshiro had so readily accepted him, but that was still far too trusting for his liking. It could get the kid killed.

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, barely did to himself mentally, but the boy’s accepting attitude was refreshing. The only other person he’d ever met that had been able to even tolerate his very existence was his mother and she had died decades ago. 

It wasn’t long until he too felt the tug of sleep on his consciousness. Wanting the feeling to go away, he stood and began to pace, refusing to fall asleep while on watch. A small, barely audible cough snapped him from his musing, his attention falling once more on the boy. The fire had all but gone out, casting the room into a chilly darkness the hanyou was only then noticing. Without even really thinking about it, Inuyasha grabbed a tattered blanket off the floor and draped it over Toshiro’s small, slightly shaking body. He scowled as he felt the urge to smile as the child burrowed into the cloth, curling in tighter around its warmth.

He debated leaving in the morning, right before the sun rose and surely before Toshiro awoke. It would save him the trouble of having to say good bye. He refused to admit it, but he knew he’d miss the boy even if he had known him for less than a day. It wasn’t until about dawn that Inuyasha made his choice when to leave as he quietly exited the home, leaving Toshiro sleeping soundly. He paused outside of the door, breathing in the fresh, crisp air before heading towards the forest again.

“ You’ll come back and visit, right?” Toshiro’s voice hesitantly pierced the air causing Inuyasha to freeze. “ I would like it very much if you would.” He whispered and Inuyasha turned to face the still half asleep human. His hair was messier than normal and teal eyes hazy. 

He couldn’t stop the smile that spread over his lips as he took in the hesitant hope in the boy’s sleepy expression. “ Count on it.” He’d probably end up regretting this decision but at the moment it felt like the right thing to do. He liked the thought that maybe he could be for Toshiro what Inuyasha had so desperately wanted when he had lived with his mother; a friend, a companion, someone that didn’t only see the outside appearance, but saw what was inside. Someone that saw him for who he was as a person.

He was graced with a small, genuinely happy smile in return. “ Until then. Goodbye Inuyasha.” He bowed slightly.

“ See ya later, Toshiro.” Inuyasha turned and restarted his retreat to the woods, waving behind him half-heartedly. 

For more than a year Inuyasha made frequent trips to the northern village to see Toshiro. They grew close, forming a brotherly bond neither had shared with anyone else before. They rarely ever spoke of it, instead just taking it as it was. 

Inuyasha shared his dream of becoming a full demon with the boy and Toshiro shared his desire to leave, to travel with the hanyou. He told him when he met Kikyo and discovered the Shikon jewel and when he decided that maybe he’d rather be fully human and live out his life with Toshiro and Kikyo by his side. Toshiro supported him regardless of whatever choice he picked and let as much be known, something Inuyasha was grateful for. Inuyasha noted when Toshiro had been acting strange the last time he’d seen him and made a mental note to question him about it on his next visit. 

Little did he know that several days later he would be sealed away and Toshiro left behind, alone again.


	2. Chapter 2

It was fall in the Feudal Era. The forests were dyed in reds, yellows, oranges, and browns as leaves began to change and blanket the ground in their vibrant colors. The air held a distinct chill to it that served as a warning for winter but still remained pleasant on the skin. Especially after the unnaturally hot summer that year had brought. Fields all over were being harvested, the yields predicting winter’s effect for every village.   
This time found Inuyasha and his pack travelling in the northern regions. They currently found themselves walking through a vibrant forest with mountain peaks just barely visible through the thinning canopy of leaves. The brightness did much for the spirits of the weary travelers, especially after their last encounter with Naraku. Inuyasha, in particular, for he knew exactly where he was and was eager, yet apprehensive, to arrive. Guilt loitered around the edge of his thoughts, threatening to devour him, at having not thought to come back to this place since his awakening. It was stupid of him and he hoped, oh how he hoped, that the one he was looking for was still there. He knew he deserved an explanation. He also knew that he could be too late to give it.

As they neared the edge of the forest the hanyou had to forcibly make himself seem uninterested in the human village visible a short distance away. That in itself wasn’t too difficult considering he couldn’t care less about anyone living there. The thing he was interested in lay outside of the village. Pausing he scanned the area, but did not find the little hut he had hoped he would find. It was foolish, he supposed, to think that something that had seemed so close to falling down fifty years ago would still be standing then. Still he had hoped and he remained hopeful that who he was searching for was still somewhere. Or at least some sign of him, some clue as to where he may have gone if he wasn’t here. Toshiro had always wanted to escape that village and see the world, after all, and despite how badly he wanted the boy to be there so that he could see him again, he also hoped that he was able to do just that. 

“ What’s got you so excited, Inuyasha?” Kagome asked, noticing the lack of a scowl on his face.

“ I’m not excited.” 

“ Uh huh.” Her sarcasm didn’t go unnoticed but, uncharacteristically, he decided to ignore it. Instead walking quicker towards the village, trying to find a familiar scent. 

As they entered they immediately noticed the decorations hanging around. Paper lanterns and charms were hung around houses and from roof tops, draping down over walk ways. A large fire burned in the middle of the village, many people gathered around eating food and sharing in various forms of merriment. Some danced, some talked, some laughed but all seemed equally joyous.

“ It would seem as if we’ve walked into a festival.” Miroku commented, eyeing two young women as they danced. Sango promptly smacked him in the head with her hiraikotsu. Nursing the growing lump on his head he sheepishly turned to an older man walking nearby and gained his attention. “ Excuse me, sir, what exactly is going on here?”

“ Oh travelers, are you? Well lucky for you, isn’t it. We’re in the middle of a festival as you can tell.”

“ What is it in celebration of?” Sango asked.

“ Many years ago a demon from the mountains plagued our village. It attacked our townsfolk, raided our livestock, and destroyed our fields. In an effort to appease the demon we offered a sacrifice at a shrine at the base of its mountain and ever since we have not been bothered by it.” He said, pointing to the mountain northeast of the village.

Sango scowled, unknowingly matching Inuyasha’s look. “ Only one sacrifice gave you years of peace from it? Normally demons would require many to stop attacking.”

“ It was no ordinary sacrifice, you see. It was a boy that had dealings with demons, with hair too white and eyes too bright to be fully human. Some say he had the blood of a demon in his veins, others that he had sold his soul to one. It’s only natural that the beast would be satisfied after devouring a demon’s spawn such as he.”

Inuyasha’s blood ran cold. “ What was the boy’s name?” the unnatural quietness and dread in his voice immediately set the others on edge.

“ Pardon?”

“ The boy-what was his name?” 

“ I can’t say I remember what they said his name was. Hits-something or another, I believe.” The old man recalled, fingers combing through his thinning beard as he thought. For a moment the information seemed to still the hanyou, but in truth it was like a hot knife to his chest

They had sacrificed Toshiro to a demon. 

He didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t fully grasp it. How could anyone look at the lonely, out casted, orphaned boy and allow a demon to devour him? He should have been there to protect him, to save him, from that horrible fate. Guilt grabbed a hold of him, images from his memories assaulting his mind, each bringing their own wave of guilt and remorse and anger. The rage was what he was used to, what he clung to as he buried the rest back down to deal with later. “ You bastards.” Fists and jaw clenched he leveled a heated, infuriated glare on the man.

Memories of Toshiro whenever he came to visit, his relief and ill contained happiness in his expression when the hanyou first came into sight, flooded his thoughts. “ You bastards!” His yell disrupted the merry villagers, their attention turning to the scene before them.

He recalled all the times he’d come to find Toshiro injured, from small bruises to broken bones. Dealt by those living in the village or demons he was forced to engage while he was hunting. The boy had always been awfully thin because they refused to feed him. Had lived alone, far away from the village because they had exiled him. “ How can you live with yourselves!? Celebrating the murder of boy that had done nothing to you!”

“ Inuyasha, calm down.” Kagome tried, laying a hand on his arm. He shrugged her off, advancing towards the crowd of people.

“ None of you even know his name, know anything about him, but you left him to die at the hands of a demon and you celebrate it! Just to save yourselves!” He remembered the pain, the loneliness etched into the young face, aging it well passed it’s years. Inuyasha knew that the boy had such a kind heart that he tried so hard to hide from the cruelty he was met with. “ You disgusting excuses for humans!” And he remembered, so painfully clear, the fear and desperation in his teal eyes the last time he’d seen him. 

“ Wait! Inuyasha, please take me with you.” The young voice cracked, choked with panic and desperation from an unknown threat. His skin pale and eyes wide, fear and apprehension gnawing at him. 

“ What’s gotten into you? You know I’ll be back in a week or two.” A large, clawed hand ruffled his hair affectionately, oblivious to the dread eating away at the boy’s nerves.

“You’re worse than any demon!” the villagers had grouped together, cowering and afraid, not knowing what to do in the face of the enraged hanyou. Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut, a growl ripping from him as he suppressed the desire to destroy the village and kill everyone in it for what they were doing. For what they had done. “ You deserve nothing less than what you made him suffer through!” Again he advanced, the crowd flinching, panic beginning the set in. 

Kagome, Sango, and Miroku rushed forward, stepping between the villagers and Inuyasha. “ Stop Inuyasha.” Miroku said, holding his staff out in front of him. The hanyou tore his gaze away and to his friends in front of him. They didn’t know, couldn’t understand what they had done. Toshiro was more than some sacrifice and here they all were, celebrating his murder like it was a holiday. They deserved death, to be tortured like they had slowly tortured Toshiro throughout his whole life. Then be ripped apart and left to die with no one to help them.

Fiery amber settled back on the people of the village, “ If I ever hear of this festival taking place again… I will come back. And I will kill all of you.” It was not a threat, but a promise that he intended to keep. With that he stalked off, leaving the terrified villagers and his confused friends behind as he headed towards the mountains.

It wasn’t long before he found himself running as fast as his legs would carry him towards the shrine. He could smell the damp, decaying wood but the scent of a demon was not present. Emotion continually tried to choke him but he fought it down, maintaining his anger instead. When he finally arrived the sight that greeted him in front of the shrine filled him with grief but also gave him a sense of pride.

Bones were strewn about, from passed meals no doubt, but in the center was the skeleton of a large, serpent-like demon coiled and slightly buried in the damp dirt. Vines and moss had long ago grown along the height of the remains. Near the front of the towering skeleton was a set of small human bones, dirty and fractured, but laying half buried in the soil. There was no scent of blood or death, but he hadn’t thought there would be. It had been fifty years after all. Despite this he knew, without a doubt, that the human bones laying in front of him were Toshiro’s. Staring at the remains he fell to his knees, apologies spilling from his lips for having failed to protect the one that was like his own little brother. 

His hold on his anger slipped and his grief nearly choked him. He wasn’t delusional enough to think that there was no possibility that Toshiro would have passed on in the fifty years that he was sealed away. People die every day. Death doesn’t care if someone is old or young when it comes for them. But sacrificed? He deserved more than that. That boy had deserved to see the world like he desired, to find somewhere that he belonged and people to accept him. He deserved a better life than what he had been given. And certainly a better death.

Kagome found him, hours later, sitting in front of a freshly dug grave. A large stone shaped roughly into oval placed at the head with the name Toshiro Hitsugaya etched carefully into it. She kept quiet, knowing this was something delicate and painful, and simply sat beside him. After giving her respects quietly, she waited until he spoke.

It took nearly half an hour but finally her patience was rewarded. “ His name was Toshiro. I found him in the forest one day before I ever met Kikyo. He was…different than any human I’d come across before then. Especially for one so young. I made sure to visit often and check up on him after that. We even had a deal that when he got older I was going to take him away from that village and traveling with me. He had white hair and the brightest eyes I’ve ever seen. That’s all that was really different at first glance, but it was enough for them to hate him. He never did anything to deserve it.” He paused before shaking his head with a growl. “I should have done something.”

“ You couldn’t have known what was going to happen.” Kagome said quietly, laying her hand on his and gently squeezing it. 

“ But I should have! I was leaving like I always did just days before Kikyo sealed me to the Goshinbaku. He knew, he must have known something. He seemed so much more persistent about going with me, desperate to not be left behind but I didn’t pay attention to it.” He’d been begging for help, for Inuyasha to save him, but probably hadn’t fully realized what he wanted to be saved from. Just that something was wrong. Something was about to happen and he was afraid but couldn’t admit to that. 

Inuyasha gave an empty laugh. “ At least he took the asshole with him.” Kagome turned to look at the old demon carcass towering behind them.

“ Seemed like one strong kid.” She commented, trying to coax Inuyasha into talking more. And he did. He told her more about Toshiro and multiple tales of their hunting trips, demon exterminations, and training sessions. He spoke of conversations and silence held under countless moons and of the brotherly bond that bloomed over many months. Inuyasha recounted times from his past with Toshiro for hours until he found that he felt better, less burdened by loss and guilt. 

“ Thank you, Kagome.” He whispered to her sleeping form draped over his back as he walked towards the scent of his friends. Behind him the grave faded from sight, a small bundle of daffodils resting against the stone marker.


	3. Chapter 3

“ Stupid Kagome and her excuses. It’ll only be a few days, she says. Taking a break every now and then is good for you, she says. Well killing Naraku and getting that damn jewel back together is more important than slacking off in her time.” A very irritated Inuyasha grumbled to himself quietly, pacing in front of Kagome’s relatives’ home. He continued his rant for several more minutes, irritated further by the fact that Kagome had talked him into wearing clothes from her time if he wanted to go along with her. 

Currently he sported a loose pair of dark blue jeans with a plain black shirt and, to his displeasure, a pair of black and white tennis shoes as well as a dark blue bandana to hide his ears. He hoped that if he went he could hurry her along so that they could return back to the Feudal Era quicker. It’s not like Naraku was going to defeat himself after all, they weren’t that lucky and frankly Inuyasha was glad. He wanted the satisfaction of killing that bastard himself. Kagome, however, was adamant that she was going to accompany her family to visit some relatives or something in some town he’d never heard and was now in, far away from the well that linked him to his home. 

He knew they needed a break, especially since Miroku had gotten so badly injured in their last battle, but not being there bothered him. And Kagome not being there bothered him more. He wanted to protect his friends and it was hard to do when five hundred years separated them. Besides down time like this allowed the hanyou to think which in itself wasn’t necessarily bad, but after learning about Toshiro, he didn’t want to think. He wanted to fight, feel the adrenaline of battle, the focus that drowned out any thoughts not about the fight and protecting his pack.

“ Inuyasha! There you are. I’ve been looking for you, the least you could do was tell me where you were going!” Kagome said as she made her way over to him.

“ Yeah, yeah, whatever, you done visiting yet so we can go back?”

The girl huffed, “ I already told you that we were going to be staying for a few days so stop bugging me about it already.” 

“ We don’t have time to be slacking off!” he growled. 

“ We can’t go running ourselves ragged either!” she countered, meeting his glare with one of her own for several moments before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “ Look, you didn’t have to tag along, but since you did, just make the most of it. How about me and you go for a walk and look around. It’ll be fun, promise.” She smiled, trying to calm the angry hanyou.

“ Whatever. What is this place anyway?” He asked, turning his back on her and starting to walk in a random direction. 

“ It’s called Karakura Town. Rumors say that there’s a lot of ghosts that live here.”

“ Yeah right like ghosts are real anymore.” The hanyou scoffed.

“ Says the half-demon.” Kagome countered, not missing a beat as they began making their way into the large city.

Inuyasha wasn’t particularly fond of the towering, crowded city. It was immensely large, the taller buildings attempting to block his view of the sky, and hundreds of people bombarded his senses with a loud cacophony of sounds and smells. It was rather dizzying to the hanyou from the feudal era but he tried his best to push past the growing headache forming in his skull and allowed Kagome to drag him around, the girl happily touring the many streets. She happened to like large cities and all the sites within them and was thoroughly enjoying herself despite the grumpy male accompanying her. 

After two hours of walking around and, to Inuyasha’s displeasure, shopping, the couple found themselves in a less populated area by a river flowing peacefully. A large bridge rose above it, allowing for travel between the two banks, but still the tranquility of the scene remained. 

“ It’s so pretty.” The girl commented, sighing and breathing in the clear air. Although it wasn’t as clean as the air in the feudal era, it was nicer than that which was in the busier parts of town. Inuyasha remained silent, a strange scent, different from any he had smelled in the city, wafted to his nose. It smelled slightly of death, but it reeked of hunger. It unnerved him for it smelt similar to that of a demon but he was pretty sure demons were gone from this time.

“ Inuyasha? Are you ok?” Kagome finally asked, wondering why he had fallen so quiet.

The hanyou scowled. “ Of course I’m ok. What kind of stupid question is that?”

“ Well sorry for being worried about you!” The girl huffed, spinning around and stomping forward several steps. 

“ Where the Hell are you going?!” He shouted after her, following quickly. A loud shriek pierced the air, sending a jolt of fear into Kagome’s chest and immediately setting Inuyasha on edge. That didn’t sound like any demon he’d ever come across before. 

“ What…was that?” 

“ I don’t know, stay close to me.” She didn’t waste time and did as she was instructed, even grabbing a hold of his arm. 

Another shriek sounded, coming distinctly from behind them and to the right, causing Inuyasha to snap his attention in that direction. A monster stood before them, towering over ten feet in height, its limbs grotesquely long and muscular. Spikes rose out of its arms by the wrist and down its back to the base of a long, lizard like tail. It’s thick hide was a brownish, grey color, a black hole in the middle of its chest. On its face was a bone white mask grinning at the couple with large, blunt teeth. Red eyes glowed at them from behind the mask, watching them hungrily. 

“ Looks like we were wrong; there are demons here after all.” Inuyasha flexed his claws, fully intent on slicing it to shreds. 

“ Something doesn’t feel right about it, it doesn’t feel like a demon.” Kagome replied, staring at the monster in front of them. The feeling she got from it wasn’t that of a demon although it was close. It felt only half there and hollow, like a spirit. The hunger, however, was similar to that of a demon. 

“ Doesn’t matter what the Hell it is, it’s about to be dead!” Inuyasha shouted, ripping out of Kagome’s grasp and jumping forward with his claws extended. The Hollow roared at him and lifted its arm to bat him aside. Inuyasha easily dodged and made it to the monster, lashing out with his claws. The impact jarred his arm as his attack was painfully deflected, sending the hanyou staggering backwards. Not wasting the opening, the Hollow knocked him aside, spikes digging into his stomach but not breaking the skin. 

“ Inuyasha!” Kagome shouted, racing over to him only to be roughly knocked aside. She landed hard on the ground and laid still.

“ Kagome!” He jumped to his feet but stumbled when the Hollow let out yet another shrieking roar and lunged at her, gaping teeth opened wide allowing for the second set of jaws to be seen. He tried to get his body to move faster but the giant beast was quicker than it looked and he knew there was no way for him to get to her before it did. That didn’t stop him from trying. 

A metallic clang met his ears, the creature’s shrieks turning to those of pain as a loud thud sounded to his left. Inuyasha paused and tried to make sense of what had just happened as it took several staggering steps backwards. The monster was now missing an arm, blood gushing unhindered from where the limb had been cleanly cut off. It emitted a low growl-like hiss, its eyes trained on the figure in front of Kagome. 

He stood proudly, long blade held steadily in front of him, clean despite the obvious fact that it had just hacked off the Hollow’s arm. A crisp, clean white haori billowed out behind the figure, the number ten stitched boldly in black. What struck Inuyasha, however, was not the sudden appearance or the strange clothing of the male that had undoubtedly saved Kagome, but it was his hair. It was the white locks that adorned the male’s head, the spikes moving in the slow breeze, that caused his breath to hitch in his throat. 

Toshiro ignored them for the moment and focused instead on dispatching the Hollow. He sighed to himself, weary of the unusually large number that had infested the town recently even though he knew why that was. Without wasting another moment he used flash step to dart forward, effortlessly killing the Hollow. He appeared back in front of the pair before the deep gash on the mask became visible, the Hollow dissolving into spirit particles and disappearing as he sheathed his blade. 

“ Toshiro…?” The whispered, barely audible name spilled from his lips before he could stop it. The shock, the confusion, of seeing the boy before him making his throat constrict painfully. Toshiro turned towards him, the same bright teal eyes that he clearly remembered gazing back at him in curiosity. “ How…” Inuyasha began before a soft groan came from Kagome’s direction. His eyes widened in worry as he rushed passed the boy and dropped to his knees before her. Gently lifting her into his arms he looked her over for injuries, afraid the monster had done some kind of damage other than knock her out. 

“ She’s fine, only unconscious, but you should take her home.” Toshiro watched the uncertainty flash in the Hanyou’s eyes, something he had not often seen. He turned away, prepared to leave it at that, unwilling for now to delve into his hazy human memories of the man before him. There was a tightness in his chest at the sight of the silver haired male. Toshiro knew that he was once important to him, that much he could tell, but that could be dangerous. Those important to him seemed to always get hurt. It was probably for the best to leave things alone despite how much he didn’t want to. It was a strange feeling. 

“ Wait!” He felt Inuyasha grab his sleeve, successfully stopping him from shunpoing away like he had intended to. “ What about you?” There was no way in Hell Inuyasha was just going to leave like that. He thought the boy was dead! He should be dead. It was more than five hundred years since he’d been alive. Was he a reincarnation like Kagome?  
“ Worry about the living before the dead, Inuyasha.” Cold fingers pried off his claws and before he could blink, Toshiro was gone. If he was a reincarnation then why did he remember him? He shouldn’t so that means he was the same Toshiro. But how could that be possible?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Toshiro sat quietly at the base of a tree beside the field he and Karin sometimes played soccer in, the moon casting surreal shadows across the grass with its gentle light. It was one of the few places in Karakura that became calm and silent at night, most people finding it too dangerous in the dark. Toshiro wasn’t worried about any human attackers, gigai or no.

As the night had peacefully dragged on without any hollow sightings, he had finally allowed himself to think upon the cast aside memories of his human life. Many shinigami couldn’t remember their living memories while others simply choose not to. Toshiro had been part of the latter, but with Inuyasha’s sudden appearance that was harder to do.  
To say that he had been surprised to find Inuyasha earlier that day would be an understatement. Never had he thought he’d find the Hanyou again, especially not in the World of the Living. He could remember his own death so clearly even after all of these years now that he thought on it. The demon had been serpentine with scales as black as night and each individually sharpened like blades. With fangs the length of his arm and eyes red and full of blood lust. He’d been terrified when the villagers had shoved him towards the demon but he had also always been a fighter and didn’t just roll over for it. How he pulled it off he wasn’t sure but he’d managed to get a hold of a rusty old sword lying beside a skeleton and drive it through the beast’s skull before it could swallow him. He hadn’t realized the demon’s saliva was poisonous until he fell and was unable to move, pain shooting through his veins like fire. 

“ Toshiro.” A voice said softly, slightly out of breath. The teen looked up slowly, not truly surprised by who had found him. Inuyasha stood a small distance away, the normally bright, fierce golden irises clouded with confusion and questions. The look wasn’t what he was accustomed to, even after so long. He could see it shifting to something much more characteristic, however, the longer the silence drew on.

Inuyasha stared at the boy, waiting for him to say something. He had so many questions and he knew that Toshiro knew that. How was he here? Where had he come from? What was that thing from earlier? And most of all, why had he just left like that? Did he hate him now? That had to be it, he reasoned. Toshiro blamed him for not being there to save him like he had promised so many times to do. Time and time again he swore to protect the boy, yet he had let him be killed, sacrificed. A bitter anger began to boil up within him. “ What the Hell do you think you’re doing leaving like that?”

“ You needed to worry about that girl.” He answered simply, unfazed by the hanyou’s mounting verbal assault.

“ That didn’t mean you had to leave! I thought you were dead!” He took a step forward, eyes ablaze with fury and posture almost looking ready to attack. 

Toshiro didn’t move, unconcerned with the hostility. “ Don’t lie to yourself. I know you can smell it, Inuyasha.”

That gave him pause. “ What are you talking about?”

The boy laid his head against the tree truck, casting his gaze skyward. “ I died a long time ago, several days after you left that last time.” There was anger and hate in his tone, a dark bitterness in those eyes that refused to look at him. 

Despite his efforts, Inuyasha felt his anger slipping away from him. “ Toshiro I…” The words he wanted to say got choked in his throat. He wanted to apologize for not being there, for not understanding, but he didn’t know how to say it.

Cool teal eyes shifted towards him, the emotions in them shifting to something lighter as he understood what Inuyasha was thinking without words. “ I don’t blame you; you couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”

“ Why didn’t you tell me? You knew something was wrong, didn’t you? Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“ I didn’t know what they were going to do, but I could tell that they were planning something. And I was afraid, but you weren’t afraid of anything. You were strong and faced dangers head on, despite any odds against you. I wanted to be like that too.” The words were spoken softly, like a secret that had never before been uttered to another soul. He had let himself forget the hanyou and all the admiration he had towards him, but now it was all flooding back like a dam suddenly wrenched open.

Inuyasha shook his head with a rough sigh, walking over to sit beside him. He flopped down roughly and looked up at the sky as well. A long silence proceeded until Inuyasha spoke again. “ I went to where you died. Small pile of bones surrounded by those of a giant demon.”

“ Like I’d die without a fight.” Toshiro said seriously, Inuyasha smirking slightly at the comment. They lapsed into short silence before Toshiro broke it, “ How are you here, Inuyasha?”

He briefly explained about Kagome and the Bone Eater’s Well, even skimming over what had transpired with Kikyo. Guilt still bit at him as he thought about how much of a fool he had been. He’d been so blinded by rage at the Priestess’s apparent betrayal he’d acted rashly, without giving consequences a second thought. That was normal for him, but he didn’t even pause to think what it would mean for Toshiro if something were to happen to him. Thoughts like that commonly invaded his mind. The urge to apologize nearly choked him, but Inuyasha pushed it down.

An apology wasn’t needed anyway. “ So this Naraku tricked you into hating each other in an attempt to get the Shikon Jewel and Kikyo sealed you to a tree for fifty years?” Fury and hatred coursed powerfully through Toshiro, Naraku’s actions sounding painfully similar to how Aizen had turned Momo against him only to cut her down before his eyes with a smile on his face.

“ Basically, yeah. Bastard turned us against each other. Kagome pulled out the arrow and broke the seal, been stuck with her ever since. Especially after she shattered the Jewel.” Toshiro raised a thin, silvery brow at that. “ Hit it with an arrow and sent however damn many shards all over the damn place.” Inuyasha grumbled in annoyance. 

“ What will you do when it’s whole? Do you still wish to become a full blooded demon?” cool turquoise eyes regarded him calmly as they always had. No judgment, no disgust, only sincere curiosity and pointed attention. 

If it was anyone else, anyone at all, asking him that question he wouldn’t hesitate to answer that Hell yes he was still planning on that. But this wasn’t just anyone—it was Toshiro. Time would never change that. “ I don’t know anymore. Sometimes I think I do but other times…” He remembered the mindless bloodlust he felt when his demon side got out of control. What if that was what he was turned into? Apprehension fluttered in his chest uneasily at the thought. Toshiro simply nodded his understanding, knowing the hanyou had been conflicted before as well. He needed to change the subject, that was obvious. “ You going to tell me how you’re dead but here or not?” 

With that the conversation turned, Toshiro explaining about Hollows and Shinigami and the Soul Society. He pointedly left out everything relating to the current war with Aizen. Keeping Aizen’s betrayal to himself in fear that Inuyasha would attempt to insert himself within his battle. Pride flooded Inuyasha as Toshiro explained the ranks that Shinigami were sorted by and how he was a Captain. He knew the kid was tough even as a scrawny human boy, it was comforting to know that he had not lost any of that strength.   
The two continued talking for hours, silence prevailing every now and again as they thought and simply enjoyed being together once more. The light of the morning sun began peeking over the horizon before the two had even realized how long they had been sitting there. 

“ Will Kagome worry about you?” Toshiro questioned, looking at the hanyou in question. He simply shrugged, not really caring at the moment. She was safe and he wasn’t really in a rush to leave this town and time any longer. 

“ She has her family here, so it’s not like she’ll miss me.” Toshiro accepted that answer and let the matter be. A beeping rang through the air, slightly startling the hanyou as Toshiro quickly withdrew his soul pager. Three red dots blinked angrily at him from the screen as he stretched his senses. 

“ What is it?”

“ Hollows. They’re close by.” He sensed the three converging towards where he felt Kagome’s reiatsu but also felt Rangiku and Ichigo both headed that way. One dot disappeared before he snapped the phone shut. “ It would seem they are attracted to Kagome.”

“ What?!” That got Inuyasha’s attention, causing the hanyou to sit up straighter and tense.

“ They are attracted to those with high reiatsu or spiritual pressure. Her’s is extremely high and very pure. That is something hollows will flock to. I suggest leaving this place as soon as possible. Once outside of Karakura you should be safer.”

“ Thought you said hollows were everywhere.”

“ Currently they are concentrated here and any that diverge to follow will be killed by a shinigami that is stationed in Tokyo.”

“ She won’t just leave here. Their trip is supposed to last a few more days. Trust me, I’ve been trying to get her to hurry the Hell up the whole time.” The hanyou huffed, scowling as he crossed his arms in annoyance. He couldn’t help but feel uneasy at what he had just been told, however. Which also begged the question of why the Hollows were swarming to that town in particular and not anywhere else. But Inuyasha didn’t dwell on the question. 

“ As long as an Arrancar doesn’t show up they should be relatively safe with the number of high ranked officers here…But still…” With a small sigh that didn’t go unnoticed by the keen hearing of the hanyou, Toshiro stood. “ I shall accompany you back then and keep a close watch until you leave.” 

Satisfied with that, the two set out. Inuyasha could honestly say he was truly happy for once in a very long time. Granted he would never admit that, nor would the young shinigami walking beside him. As they walked through the city in the early morning light, the few out and about took them in as a curious sight but kept their opinions to themselves. Toshiro was glad to have met with Inuyasha again. It did a great deal to lift his spirits after all that had happened with Momo and Aizen only a short while ago. 

They knew that there were still hard times ahead of them. They were warriors, people who fought for a living, so it was expected. It was those that they fought to protect that gave their lives and battles meaning. Finding each other once again added another purpose for continuing on no matter the circumstances. They were brothers, perhaps not in blood but definitely in bond, and they would fight to protect each other and to make sure they didn’t lose one another again. Being reunited after so long and after believing that they would never meet again was something they had always hoped for. Now that it had come to pass, they hoped to never have to endure it again. And if they had a say, they would never have to.

Life would lead them down separate paths, but they would ensure that they continued to meet again.

**Author's Note:**

> This is also posted on Fanfiction.net but I was really proud of it. So I wanted to post it here too! I hope you enjoyed it. Kudos and comments are always appreciated.


End file.
